


Lightweight

by drivingmishcrazy



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:14:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22536073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drivingmishcrazy/pseuds/drivingmishcrazy
Summary: Set after 5x13 “Risky Business.Derek Morgan didn’t know what to do about his feelings for Emily Prentiss. But after she tells the team a sweet story on the jet, Derek comes up with an idea.
Relationships: Derek Morgan/Emily Prentiss
Kudos: 56





	Lightweight

_ “There’s a lot to hate about you, Dr. Reid.” _

Try as he might, Derek Morgan couldn’t get that woman out of his head. The story she had told them on the jet after their most recent case, about the prince who had caught a falling star, dropped it, then put the pieces back together to prove his undying love for the woman he loved, had been cute, if a little silly. At any rate, it had struck a chord with Emily Prentiss, which made Derek sit up and pay attention.

Derek wasn’t sure  _ when _ he realized that he had feelings for Emily, though Reid had called him on it not long after she had joined the team, but he had realized some time after a drunken game of truth or dare where Emily had been dared to kiss him and had, hard, that it was more than just a crush that would go away if he left it alone. Truth be told, the woman brought him to his knees. When he was around Emily Prentiss, his heart pounded and he felt lightheaded. 

Derek Morgan had a reputation for being a player, but the honest truth was that he would give that reputation up in an instant if it meant that that raven-haired beauty would look at him the way she looked when she was telling that story. But the idea of telling Emily how he felt scared the hell out of him. Derek didn’t know if he could look her in the eye and pour his heart out to her, knowing that there was a  _ very  _ good chance that she didn’t feel the same way. It was just too much, but he could barely breathe around her. He had to do something, he just didn’t know what. So he didn’t do anything at all, for the longest time. But after that story, an idea began to form in Derek’s mind, and with the help of one Penelope Garcia, he came up with a plan.

He knew exactly how he was going to tell Emily Prentiss how he felt about her.

——

Emily had been walking back from getting her first cup of coffee when she noticed it, the little box covered in blue wrapping paper paper sitting on top of her desk. She was almost certain that it hadn’t been there when she had set her bag down this morning, but if any of her teammates was responsible for it being there, their faces gave away nothing. Emily frowned and set her cup of coffee down, picking up the box and giving it a little shake. A small slip of paper was taped to the top of it and Emily opened that first, noting the all-too familiar handwriting as she read it.

_ Do NOT open this in the bullpen! It’ll beg too many questions. I’ll explain later. I promise.  _

Emily felt her brows knit together in confusion. It wasn’t her birthday, and Christmas was a month past, so she had no idea why Derek Morgan of all people was leaving gifts on her desk, or  _ why  _ he was giving her something that he didn’t want her opening in front of all their coworkers and friends. Still, she decided that if Derek didn’t want her opening it at her desk, he probably had a good reason for it, so she excused herself to the restroom, where she made short work of the wrapping paper, and opened the box.

She didn’t know what she had been expecting, but it  _ certainly  _ hadn’t been what she saw.

A necklace.

A  _ falling star  _ necklace.

Emily touched the pendant with the tips of her fingers, her lips parted slightly. She had seen Derek take off his headphones when she had been telling Reid the story on the jet a couple weeks ago, but she had no idea that he has been paying  _ that _ much attention. Emily’s heart fluttered at what the gesture could possibly mean, the butterflies that had long laid dormant in her stomach hatching from their cocoons. 

Of  _ course _ she had feelings for Derek, few women with a pulse  _ didn’t _ at least have a small crush on him, but their close friendship complicated things. Derek was the guy she invited over for beer and football on Sundays, though he teased her mercilessly for rooting for the Patriots, and who could always be counted on to sneak her chocolate and Tylenol during  _ that  _ time of the month. Sure, he was boyfriend material, hell, he had the potential to be  _ husband  _ material if he ever decided to settle down. But Derek Morgan had never given the impression, aside from some flirtation  _ very  _ early on in her career with the BAU, that he was interested in Emily Prentiss as anything but a friend.

Until now.

“You got out of there in a hurry.” JJ said from behind her. Emily jumped a foot in the air. “Everything okay?”

“Y-yeah.” Emily stammered. “No, I’m good. I uh, I just-“

“Whoa!” JJ said, noticing the box still clutched in Emily’s hand. “What you got there? Secret admirer?”

“No!” Emily said quickly, too quickly and tried to snap the box shut and put it in her pocket, not quickly enough. “No, it’s nothing. Really!”

“If it’s nothing then why are you blushing?” The blonde teased, grabbing the box. “Come on, let me see! I won’t tell anyone that you have a secret boyfriend!”

JJ laughed then fell silent as she saw what was in the box, her expression changing from amusement, to surprise, to knowledge, to just being absolutely, positively stunned. She handed it back to Emily.

“JJ,  _ please  _ don’t say anything.” Emily begged. “I’m just as confused as you are but I was asked to keep this under wraps, so if you could just…”

“Oh, don’t worry.” JJ said. “Your secret’s safe with me, I just can’t believe he actually did it...Damn it! I owe Rossi twenty bucks!”

Emily’s head snapped to look at her. “Come again?”

“Oh, come  _ on _ Emily!” JJ exclaimed. “Derek Morgan has been hot for you for a  _ while  _ now. Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed! Huh? The way he  _ looks _ at you…”

“You’re crazy.” Emily scoffed. “Since when does Morgan look at  _ me  _ any special way?”

“Uh, since always!” JJ said. “Where have  _ you  _ been for the past few years? I’m pretty sure Morgan was ready to make you his little wifey after that whole weird Vonnegut thing a few years ago.”

“Stop!” Emily said, rolling her eyes. “I hate that word, it’s so juvenile, and what’s wrong with Vonnegut?”

“Nothing.” JJ said. “But I’ve known Derek long enough to know that he doesn’t sit around and talk about books with just  _ anyone _ . Okay, and he pays attention to you in a way that he doesn’t with anyone else on the team.”

“Well, that may be true.” Emily said. “But even so, I’m not interested in being another one of Derek Morgan’s many conquests. I’m not that kind of girl.”

“Emily, no.” JJ said. “He doesn’t pay attention to other girls the way he pays attention to you, either.”

“JJ, come on!” Emily said. “What are you trying to say? That I’m different? That I- I’m special, or something? This isn’t some sappy romance novel!”

“I’m just saying,” JJ said. “That you don’t give someone something  _ that _ beautiful and thoughtful if all you want is to get in their pants.”

Emily groaned. “What am I gonna do?”

“That depends.” JJ said. “How do  _ you  _ feel about him?”

“He’s one of my best friends.” Emily said. “And yes, I’ll admit I’ve thought about what it might be like if that turned into something more...”

JJ grinned. “I knew it!” She said. “You  _ like  _ him! You get all googly-eyed around him!”

“But I don’t want to risk ruining what we already have!” Emily sighed. “I don’t know, JJ.”

“Just talk to him, okay?” JJ said. “I mean, do you  _ really  _ want to spend the  _ rest  _ of your life wondering what could have happened if you took a chance on him?”

“I’ll talk to him.” Emily said. “Later. When we don’t have an audience.”

“Good.” JJ grinned. “It’s a pretty necklace, by the way.”

Emily smiled. It  _ was  _ a pretty necklace, she just wished she knew what it  _ meant  _ and why Derek Morgan of all people was giving it to her. Could he feel something real for her? Something more than all of his flings and one night stands? Emily didn’t know.

——

“So, how did it go?”

Derek sighed as Garcia spun around in her chair in her office, her eyes bright. When Derek had first realized his feelings for Emily were  _ not  _ something that was just going to fade, Garcia had been the first person he went to. She had been sympathetic and offered him insight into what he should do about the effervescent woman that he couldn’t seem to banish from his thoughts, and when he had come up with an idea to finally express how he felt, how she  _ made  _ him feel, it had been Garcia whose help he enlisted to pull it off. She’d helped him pick the perfect necklace, helped him wrap it since she was an expert at gift-wrapping, and helped him work through  _ just  _ what he wanted to say to Emily when he got the chance. The rest was done, it was now the last part that terrified him.

“I don’t know, babygirl.” Derek said. “I mean she obviously opened it, and she could obviously tell that it was from me from the handwriting, but she came back with a  _ weird  _ look on her face.”

“Ooh.” Garcia said. “Good weird, I hope?”

“Is there really a good weird?”

“Oh come on!” Garcia said. “Was it weird like ‘the guy I like likes me back and I’m in shock’ weird, or was it ‘one of my best friends told me he likes me and I don’t know how to let him down gently’ weird?”

“I don’t know.” Derek said, throwing his hands up. “Is there a difference, Garcia?”

“There is  _ totally  _ a difference!” She said. “God, how does a man like  _ you  _ not know?”

“Because she’s different!” He exclaimed. “I can hang with the best of them at the bar, the pool, hell, even the damn  _ grocery store _ . But when it comes to Emily, I feel completely out of my element. She throws me off my game, and all my tricks feel cheesy and played out.”

“Oh my god.” Garcia said. “You  _ love  _ her!”

Derek laughed. “I don’t know if I would go throwing around the word ‘love’ just yet, Garcia.” He said. “But I  _ will  _ say that she’s unlike any woman I’ve ever been interested in before, and that scares the  _ hell  _ outta me.”

“You need to  _ talk  _ to her.” Garcia said. “Do you remember what you’re gonna say?”

“I do, but…” He sighed. “I don’t know, it just doesn’t  _ feel  _ right. You know what I’m saying?”

“Then speak from the heart.” She said. “No girl can resist a man willing to be  _ that  _ vulnerable with her.”

“What if she doesn’t feel the same?”

“Then she’s  _ crazy  _ and I want to know her secret for being immune to your charms.” She grinned. “She does, though. Trust me. I know these things.”

“How?” Derek asked. “How do you know?”

“Derek…” Garcia sighed. “You don’t see it because you’ve been too busy worrying about how  _ you  _ feel, but the way you look at her? I’ve seen her looking back.”

“Well, I guess I’ll find out soon.” Derek said. “It’s almost time to head out for the night, and something tells me that Emily isn’t gonna want to leave this til tomorrow.”

“Go get ‘em, loverboy!” Garcia said. “And hey, it’s all gonna be okay.”

“I hope so.” Derek said. “Because I don’t know what I’m gonna do if it’s not.”

——

They waited until the rest of the team had left for the night, casting nervous glances at one another the entire day. The whole team noticed, even Reid, though they seemed to have made a silent agreement not to mention it. Finally, they were the only two people left in the bullpen, and Emily rose from her chair, grabbing her things. She raised an eyebrow at Derek.

“Walk me out?” She asked. 

Derek swallowed hard and nodded, quickly grabbing his own stuff. Moment of truth.

They walked silently, side by side, to the elevator. Emily picked at her nails, the way she always did when she was stressed out or nervous, something that Derek had always found endearing. Now, it worried him as he tried to decide if it was because she was nervous about rejecting him, or because they were finally going to be alone together. Neither of them spoke until the elevator doors were safely closed before them.

“So…” Emily said, exhaling. “Are you going to tell me what this is all about, or do I have to guess?”

“Emily, I-“ Derek began. 

“I mean, it’s sweet.” She said. “I guess I just don’t really know your intentions, it doesn’t really seem like the kind of thing you give to a friend.”

“Emily, wait a second.” Derek said, sighing and passing a hand over his face. “Look, this is  _ not  _ easy for me, okay? I need you to just listen for a second.”

“Okay.” She said. “I’m listening.”

“I- oh, hell.” He muttered. “From the moment I met you, something about you stumped me. And I couldn’t figure out what it was until last year. Truth or dare?”

Emily nodded. “I remember.”

“You scare the  _ hell  _ out of me.” Derek said. “I mean, I have  _ never  _ felt like such an awkward, out of place, Jesus, I feel like an  _ idiot  _ when I’m around you. Look at me! I can’t even get the words out of my mouth!”

“That’s certainly a first.” Emily chuckled. “Come on, Derek, it’s  _ me _ ! Emily!”

“It  _ is  _ you.” He said quietly as the elevator doors opened and they stepped out. “I think it’s always  _ been  _ you.”

Emily stopped short of the door and looked at him, brown eyes wide. “What are you saying?”

“Do you  _ really  _ not know?” He asked. “Come on, princess. We go back and forth all the time, and maybe I flirt with everyone, but with you, it’s different.”

“Oh.” She said. Her face paled. “I uh, why- why don’t we do this outside? Fresh air.”

“Are you okay?” 

“Yeah.” Emily said, taking a deep breath as the cold night air hit her face. “I just, uh…”

Derek grabbed her hand, intertwining her fingers with his own. Emily looked up at him.

“Emily, you are the most amazing woman I have ever known.” He said. “Now, I’ve tried to bury my feelings for you and it hasn’t worked. So when you were telling that story, about the guy and the star, I decided that I couldn’t wait any longer. I don’t want to have to hide the way I feel about you. That’s why I gave you the necklace, because what I feel...it’s not just some passing thing, and if you don’t feel the same, that’s fine. I just couldn’t let one more day go by without telling you that you make me  _ weak _ .”

“Derek…” She said.

“You make me weak, Emily.” Derek said again. “You look at me and my thoughts get all messed up. I kissed you once when we were drunk, and all I’ve been able to think about since that night is kissing you again. Okay, and I’ve kissed plenty of girls since then and none of them compare to you. You knock me out, and I don’t know what any of this means for our friendship or working together or what, but what I feel for you is  _ real _ and I can’t just pretend-“

Derek was cut off as Emily threw her arms around him and crushed her lips against his. He startled a bit before kissing her back, softly at first, then harder and faster as the need to be close to her, the need to keep kissing her and to never, ever stop grew stronger. She whimpered when his tongue slipped into her mouth and found her own, reveling in the way her mouth tasted. Emily swirled the tip of her tongue experimentally against Derek’s and was rewarded with a low groan and Derek’s hands on her ass, pulling her close and pressing her body up against his. When they parted, they were gasping for breath and Emily’s cheeks were pink. Her dark eyes were the clearest Derek had ever seen them, and her face reflected all of the fear and hope that he knew his held.

“We should get coffee sometime.” She said. “Or dinner, something. Anything where we get to do  _ that _ again.”

Derek laughed. “We can get coffee, princess.” He said, stroking her cheek. “Or dinner, or go see a movie, or whatever you wanna do. As long as you’re saying that it’s a date and I can keep kissing you.”

“You can  _ definitely  _ keep kissing me.” Emily chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind you kissing me again right  _ now  _ if I didn’t feel like I was about to pass out from lack of oxygen.”

“So, I guess this means you feel the same?”

Emily rolled her eyes. “No.” She said. “I just kiss all of my friends like that! Derek! Yes!”

“Hey.” He said. “Just checking.”

“The necklace is beautiful.” She said. “I can’t believe you did that for me.”

“Well, the story was all about the prince proving his feelings for his girl, right?” He said, grabbing her hand and placing it over his beating heart. “This is how I feel about you, Emily Prentiss. I would catch a falling star for you and put all the pieces back together if it would get you to notice me.”

“Consider yourself noticed.” Emily said. “And I like what I see. I like it a lot.”

“I like what I see too.” Derek said and kissed her on the forehead. “Come on, let's get out of here.”

They went to a nearby pizza place where they talked, ate, and kissed some more. Derek never let go of her hand the entire time. They ended their night at Emily’s place, watching cheesy action movies and getting tangled up in her sheets. Neither of them knew exactly what the future held in store for the two of them, but they were ready to find out. And the next morning when she walked into work, Emily Prentiss was wearing that necklace.

  
  
  
  



End file.
